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Murder trial told of meat cleaver attacks

Isabel Hayes

A gang calling itself The United Brotherhood terrorised a number of Sydney residents with meat cleavers before hacking a man to death in his own home, a murder trial has been told.

Two victims of separate 2010 home invasions told the Supreme Court on Tuesday how they were threatened by armed men, with one victim describing how his arm was "hanging off" after he was slashed with a machete.

They were giving evidence in the trial of Mahdi Mir, 22, Mohammad Karimi, 25, and John Khoury, 32, who have pleaded not guilty to several crimes, including murdering Kesley Burgess.

The crown alleges the men were members of a gang called The United Brotherhood, which carried out three home invasions in 2010, culminating in the murder of 25-year-old Mr Burgess at his Lurnea home in southwest Sydney on July 1, 2010.

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The Crown alleges Mir was one of four men who entered the Burgess home armed with meat cleavers while Karimi waited outside.

It alleges Khoury helped plan the attack and supplied weapons, making him part of a joint criminal enterprise to carry out home invasions.

The jury was told that other members of the gang had pleaded guilty to their part in the attacks and some would give evidence at the trial.

In his opening address, prosecutor Ken McKay said the United Brotherhood operated out of premises they called "the compound" and carried out the home invasions in an attempt to "shut down what they believed were drug dealers and take over the territory".

The court heard Mr Burgess grabbed a "sword-like object" after the men forced their way into his home demanding drugs and money and threatening to kill his mother, Tracey Burgess.

He managed to push his mother away from them before three men, including Mir, started swinging their meat cleavers at him, Mr McKay told the court.

"I anticipate you will hear evidence that Kesley Burgess was pleading he had nothing, he had some drugs and that was all he had."

Tracey Burgess "pleaded with them to kill her", Mr McKay said.

The men left after Tracey Burgess threw a tin containing cannabis at them, but Mr Burgess died in hospital from his wounds.

His wrist was almost severed in the attack, the court heard.

The trial heard from victims of two home invasions which the crown alleges were carried out by some members of the gang shortly before Kesley Burgess was murdered.

James Stiff said three men forced their way into his Ashcroft home on the night of June 29, 2010, and one of them swung a machete at him, cutting him across the forearm.